Needle threader



M. T. DAVID NEEDLE THREADER Sept. 2, 1952 Filed Feb. 16, 1949 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 2, 195 2 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NEEDLE 'THREADER Mario T. David, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 16, 1949, Serial No. 76,788

2 Claims. (01. 22s' '99)' This invention relates to threaders and more specifically contemplates a device for facilitating the insertion of a fabric thread through the eye of a, needle.

Heretofore in the art, manually operable devices of this type have been largely confined to wire loops of various designs adapted to be inserted through the eye of a needle for receiving the thread whereby withdrawal ofthe loop from the needle is effective to pull the thread through the eye. While the principle of operation of such equipment is essentially basic its utility is limited because of the difficulty of initially threading the wire loop through the eye.

Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to obviate the aforementioned disadvantages of the art prior to my invention by the provision of a threader comprising a wire, thread-engaging element operable, in response to movement to a position for receiving the thread, to first align the eye of the needle for penetration by the element and to thereafter project through the eye, whereby the thread upon engagement with the element, may be drawn through the eye incident to withdrawal of the wire element from the latter.

Another object is to provide, alternatively, a mounting for a resilient wire hook incorporating a guide for the needle adapted to support the needle in a position to accommodate the projection of the wire through the eye, and thereby facilitate the threading of the needle upon the Wire.

Another object is to provide means for supporting and maintaining the thread in a position intermediate the hook and needle in order to assure engagement of the needle with the hook when the needle is withdrawn from the wire.

More specifically an object hereof is a provision of a block having a needle-guide slot, opening through one end thereof, to facilitate alignment of the eye of the needle with a flexible wire hook disposed in upright position adjacent one end of the slot, and having a transverse opening intersecting the slot for accommodation of the thread so as to support a reach of the thread in contiguous relation with the Wire and needle for projection through the eye of the needle upon Withdrawal of the latter from the block.

Another object is to provide a pair of pivotallyassociated bars and a wire hook movable with one of said bars through an opening in the other thereof, in combination with means in the latter bar for reception and support of a needle to be threaded, the movement of the bars to- 2 gether being operable to register the eye of the needle with the end of the hook and effect the penetration of the eye by the hook for subsequent withdrawal of the thread through the eye.

Another object is to provide guide means to facilitate direction of the thread into the opening by which the thread is positioned for engagement upon the hook.

Other objects and salient features of my invention such, for example, as ease of operation, economy of manufacture, adaptability for use on a table or other support so as to contribute to steadiness in effecting the threading of the hook through the eye of the needle, and durability, will be apparent to those of skill in the artupon an examination of the following description read in the light of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the threader of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation similar to that of Fig. 1, with the principal elements in separated relationship indicating the first step in the operation of the device;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the threader;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the device'in closed position showing the latch in inactive position;

Fig. 5 is a broken, longitudinal section through the threader depicting the needle and thread in operative relationship therewith, preparatory to drawing the thread through the eye of the needle; and

Fig. 6 is a broken side elevation of the pivoted bars of the third embodiment in separated relationship, illustrating the manner in Which the thread is drawn through the eye of the needle.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, the threader of the present invention comprises a pair of bars 4| and 42 having corresponding ends hinged together as at 43. The opposite end of one of the bars 42 is slotted to receive a guide lug 44 carried by corresponding end of the other bar 4| so as to assure alignment of the bars when the same are pivoted into contiguous, parallel relationship. A helical spring 45, interposed between the bars adjacent the hinge 43 normally urges the bars into a divergent relationship. A suitable stop 46 (not shown in detail) is incorporated in the hinge 43 to limit separation of the bars to the relative positions depicted in Fig. 2. 4! indicates a, conventional form of latch, pivoted to one side of one of the bars 42 to engage a stud 48 mounted rigidly to the corresponding side of the other bar 4| so as to hold the bars together in opposition to the expansive urge of the spring 45.

A short slot 49 is formed in the upper surface of the bar 42 which is normally below bar 4| when the device in is use. A lower looped end 50 of a spring wire is accommodated within the slot 49 and retained by a transverse rod 52 which extends laterally through the bar 42. The opposite upper end of the wire 5|. extends above the upper surface of the bar 42 a short distance and terminates in a thread-hook 53 formed by the turning over of the wire toward the end of the bar 42 at which the latch 41 is disposed.

The wire 5| projects above the upper surface of the bar 42 a distance substantially less than the thickness of the bar 4|, which is provided with a circular recess 54 to accommodatethe wire 5| when the bars are swung into parallel relationship. It will be understood that the hook 53 is of a size to permit its insertion through the eye of the needle to'be threaded and'in order to effect this operation, I provide a hole5 in'theupper bar 4| which extends into the swinging'end of the latter bar in a direction substantially parallel and adjacent to the lowerlface of theupperibar and into open communication with the recess 54 into which the wire 5|'projectsupon'closure of the device. A needle 56 inserted, eye "first,into the hole 55 through the end of the upper bar 4| thus intersects the recess v54 and abuts against the wall of that opening'opposite to that penetrated by the hole. The recess 54 isof a diameter to assure alignment of the. portion of the needle 55 in which the eye 51 is formed with the hooked end 53 of the wire, when the needle is extended into the hole 55 as far asjpossible, for a purpose hereinafter more in detail described.

The thread58 is brought into operative juxtaposition with the wire hook ,53 and needle 56 through a slot 59 opening through the'opposite sides of the upper bar ll' and extending from'the top of the bar on a line intermediatethe swinging end of the latter and the rcess'fid, downwardly and then laterally into the recess into which the hooked end 53 oithe'wire 5| projects when the bars are latched together. It willlbe observed frcm the examination of Fig. 5 that-with the parts so arranged the extreme end of the hook 53 is disposed above the lower side of the slot 55 at the point of intersection of the latter and recess 54 so as to provide a clearance between the downwardly-directed extreme end of the hook 53 and the slot 59 for the movement of a reach of the thread 58, introduced through the slot, to a' point below the hook.

The threader of the present invention is operated as follows: With the latch 41 released-and the bars 4| and 42 diverging from their points of pivoting, as indicated in Fig. 2, the needle 56 is inserted into the hole 55 to place the eye 57 thereof across the recess 54. The bars are then manually swung together on their pivot 43. As the hooked upper end of the wire enters the recess 54 in the upper bar 4| it passes through the eye 57 of the needle 56 and enters-the upper. portion or the recess which intersects with the thread-slot 59. If, however, the eye of the needle is not perfectly aligned with the direction of relative movement of the wire hook 53, the latter abuts against the end of the needle in which the eye is formed. In accordance with conventional construction of needles, the end of'the needle 56 in which the eye is formed is flattened slightly on diametrically opposite sides through which the eye penetrates'and accordingly. pres-* is withdrawn through the eye.

sure of the wire hook 53 against any point on this part of the needle, with the possible exception of points exactly from the axis of the eye, results in rotating the needle until one or the other of the flat sides are transverse to the direction of movement of the wire, at which moment the eye is perfectly aligned with the hook 53, and the latter passes through the eye into the upper reaches of the recess coincident with the completion of movement of'the bars together into parallel relationship.

The thread 53 is then laid across the upper surface of the bar 4| and drawn downwardly into the-slot 59 and thence into the recess 54 at the lower end of the slot. During this operation the bars may be latched together if desired to facilitate manipulation of the thread. Movement of an intermediate reach of the thread into the bottom of the slot 59 results in contact of the thread against the wire-5| below the hook 53.

The latch 47, if employed, is then released and the bars are permitted to spread apart, resulting in'the withdrawal of the wire 5| from the recess 54. However, with the thread 53 disposed-below the hook 53, withdrawal of the' wire 5| from the recess 54 and from the eye 57 of the needle 56 draws a double reach of the thread through the .eye, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6.

"The separation of the bars-to their extreme divergent postions draws the doubled thread taut due to the frictional resistance to the movement of the thread through the eye of the needle. The thread may be released from the hook 53 by slight movement of the bars toward one another, aga-inst the pressure of the springflifi. The resultant release of tension upon the thread, intermediate the needle and hook-53 incident to this movement of the bars, permits the doubled reach of the thread to twist slightly causing the lowerloop of I the thread to swing out of align- I ment with the hook.

Thereupon the'needle is withdrawn from the'hole 55 in the upper bar 4| pulling a doubled reach of the thread-through the eye with it. As in each of the other embodiments one reach of the thread maybe then withdrawn from the eye leaving the needle threaded for use.

It will be appreciated that the preciseinositioning of the needle 56 and wire5| by the means described, obviates the necessity for distortion of the wire or shifting of the needle as the former As in the embodiment of Fig. 1 the curvature of the threadslot '59 contributes to the placement of the thread in proper relationship with the --wire hook-53, incident to its initial sharp incline into the bar and subsequent lateral extension beneath the hook.

There has been described and illustrated a device capable of performing all of the speciilcally mentioned objects of this invention as well as others which are apparent to those skilled in theart. Various uses of the present invention may be-rnadeemploying the described structure.

Accordingly, it is apparent that variations as to operation, size and shape, and rearrangement of elements may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, limitation is sought only in accordance with the scope of the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by'Letters Patent is:

1. In a threading device for needles, in combination, a first body member, a second body member hinged to'said firstbody member at one end thereof, said body members having substantially fiat opposed surfaces which are moved into engagement with respect to each other during the threading operation, said firstbody member having a substantially cylindrically shaped recess therein extending longitudinally thereof from the end opposite the hinged end, said'recess being of a diameter to receive the needle being threaded, the needle being freely rotatable in said recess, a. resilient wire mounted on said second body member with one end extending upwardly from its fiat surface and terminating in a hook, said first body member having an opening therein intersecting the inner end of said re cess and also having a slot therein the inner end of which intersects the upper end of said opening, said opening being aligned with said hook so that said hook passes upwardly through said opening into the lower end of said slot when said members are moved together, means to uide said body members when they are moved together so that said hook always follows the same path when it is moved upwardly through the opening in the first body member, said guide means comprising a lug formed on one of said members in the vicinity of its free end, the other of said body members having a complementary slot to receive said lug, and spring means disposed between the body members resiliently urging said members apart.

2. In a, threading device for needles, in combination, a first body member, a second body a member hinged to said first body member at one end thereof, said body members having substantially flat opposed surfaces which are moved into 3 engagement with respect to each other during the threading operation, a, resilient wire mounted on said second body member with one end extending upwardly from its fiat surface and terminating in a hook, said first body member having an opening therein to accommodate the hook, said hook being normally disposed within said opening, when the threading device is in nonuse, the first body members having a substantially cylindrically shaped recess therein extending longitudinally thereof from the end opposite the hinged end, said recess being of a, diameter to receive the needle being threaded with the eye thereof in said recess whereby the hook abuts against and rotates the needle to a sufficient degree for penetration of the eye of the needle by the hook, means to guide said body members when they are moved together so that said hook always follows the same path when it is moved upwardly through the opening in the first body member, said guide means comprising a lug formed on one of said body members in the vicinity of its free end, the other of said body members having a complementary slot to receive said lug, and spring means disposed between the body members resiliently urging the body members apart.

MARIO T. DAVID.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 175,219 Wells Mar. 21, 1876 670,416 Cronk Mar. 26, 734,709 Holder July 28, 1903 786,649 Kendig Apr. 4, 1905 1,145,258 Moore July 6, 1915 

